Peru Perdu is celebrating the flavours of South America with a new menu

Since opening in 2019, Peru Perdu has looked to showcase and celebrate the flavours of South American cuisine in a unique and creative way.

Now the restaurant, situated in Whitworth Locke, has launched a new menu – the first since it opened – full of Peruvian and Uruguayan inspired dishes.

Central to Peruvian gastronomy is ceviche, typically made from fresh raw fish cured in fresh citrus juices.

After its success in championing Ceviche in Manchester, Peru Perdu has looked to refresh the Peruvian national dish with some tempting new options.

The new ceviche range (from £7) features tuna pica with green olive, coconut and Eminente raisins, and sole with lime, chilli, coriander and plantain crisps, along with scallop, beef and avocado options.

The latter are available as part of a ceviche sampler to share (£35), a mix of beef, avocado and scallop ceviches with paired wines for two.

The beef ceviche breaks the understanding that ceviche has to be fish, and is instead a fusion of intensely savoury beef, wood-fired mayo, chilli and green onion with a crisp deep-fried oyster.

A fresh and flavourful scallop ceviche fuses hand-dived scallops with pomelo, pink ginger, crispy rice and fragrant coriander, while the creamy avocado, flecked with red chilli and a squeeze of lime, comes with a vibrant deep purple toasted tortilla, as appealing on. the eye as it is on the palate.

There’s also a Lindisfarne oyster and `Veuve Clicquot pairing for those who like to keep things classic.

Peru Perdu’s much-loved empanadas (£9 for three) now come in three different styles: baked, fried and steamed.

The fried mushroom herb empanadas are served with garlic and packed with rich umami flavour, while the steamed prawn dumpling with garlic and chilli is a gentle nod to Nikkei, the combination of Japanese and Peruvian cuisine.

Our baked chilli and beef empanadas, a more traditional option, are simply delicious, the delicious crescent pastries served with cornbread and a spicy green chilli sauce.

For small plates (all £8 – £10), the hugely popular tiger milk chicken has been reinvented with coriander, coconut, chilli and lime.

Also new to the menu is the black calamari with saffron aioli, slow cooked pork with flatbread, and roast plantain and popcorn shrimp with citrus ponzu.

The planta section of the menu (from £7), all about plant-based dishes, has been expanded with a new selection of small and large plates.

The popular pastel de papas remains, but now with sweet potato and served with turtle bean salsa, whilst also new are sweetcorn fritters with zucchini, avo, banita, spinach and tomato salsa; black quinoa bowl with broccoli, citrus and nuts; padron peppers with superchimmi; and asparagus with chimichurri. 

Peru Perdu is known for its U.W.A (Uruguayan Wet Aged, grass-fed and organic steaks, including various cuts and weights of ancho (ribeye), chorizo (sirloin), lomo (fillet) and picanha (rump cap).

Prices range from £25 for a 250g ribeye cap or 300g rump, to £67 for a chateaubriand to share or £90 for 1000g ribeye.

Our ribeye was superb, beautifully medium rare and so meltingly tender that there is simply no need for a steak knife.

The restaurant also now offers A1 Chilean Wagyu steaks (£65 for sirloin or £90 for fillet), with high fat marbling through the meat which results in an almost buttery texture.

Wagyu is graded according to yield, marbling, colour, texture, firmness and lustre, and the A1 Chilean Wagyu at Peru Perdu comes with a beef marbling score of 6-7 (excellent) and 8-9 (exceptional).

For larger plates, the star of the show comes in the form of lobster (£18 for half or £36 for whole), served with Perdu butter or mountain curry.

Taking inspiration from the proximity of beautiful Peruvian beaches to the enchanting jungles and the snow-capped Andes, the lobster is perfectly paired with mountain curry, inspired by jungle curry – a famous dish from the mountain city of Chiang, made with ingredients found in the jungles of Thailand.

Other stand-out dishes include the slow ox heart, a rich, hearty and flavourful stew served with braised pickled cabbage and sweet potato, and the lamb saltado, which is inspired by the popular Peruvian dish, ‘lomo saltado’, a stir fry that typically combines marinated strips of sirloin with onions, tomatoes and other ingredients. Peru Perdu’s version is made with grilled lamb leg steak, paired with a fusion of chilli, mint and sofrito. 

When it comes to sides, the most decadent is the utterly delicious lobster champ potatoes – an indulgent combination of buttery mashed potatoes, spring onion and chunks of sweet tender lobster.

Alongside the food menu, Peru Perdu has also refocused its wine menu, further championing Cabernet Franc.

Currently, many Argentine growers are replanting Malbec with Cabernet Franc, a red wine grape.

Peru Perdu offers some of the best examples of Cabernet Franc from Argentina and Uruguay. They range from dry French style Uruguayan to bold, rich unctuous Mendoza style, and pair perfectly with steak.

Move over Malbec.

Peru Perdu is open every day except Monday at 74 Princess Street, M1 6JD, peruperdu.com.